Each April, Stress Awareness Month provides a vital opportunity to shine a spotlight on one of the most pervasive workplace issues – stress. For HR professionals it’s not only a time to reflect on our own wellbeing, but also to assess the structures, cultures, and leadership styles that shape the environments we work in.

This year’s theme, #LeadWithLove, calls for a more compassionate approach to leadership – a reminder that empathy, kindness, and emotional intelligence are not soft skills, but core competencies in managing workplace wellbeing.

Despite growing awareness, stress remains a leading cause of sickness absence in the UK. According to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), stress, depression, and anxiety accounted for 46% of all work-related ill health cases in 2023/24. The implications for productivity and retention are enormous.

For HR teams, this underscores the need to not only have effective policies in place but to foster a culture where mental health is genuinely prioritised. Employment lawyers are increasingly advising on issues where workplace stress plays a central role – from constructive dismissal claims to disputes involving reasonable adjustments for mental health conditions.

Recognising Stress

Stress can present itself in many different ways, and each person may experience it differently. However, the following are some common signs that may indicate someone is struggling. While not an exhaustive list, these symptoms are useful indicators for employers to be aware of:

  • Lower performance levels, inconsistency in performance or making mistakes;
  • Loss of motivation and lack of commitment;
  • Inability to make decisions and forgetting things or being evasive;
  • Spending more time at work and not using holidays;
  • Taking long lunches and being late, or leaving early;
  • Not mixing with colleagues;
  • Crying or being oversensitive;
  • Being angry, irritable or moody;
  • Criticising or bullying others;
  • Shouting or lack of control.

Legal Considerations and Best Practice

From a legal standpoint, the duty to protect employees from stress at work is well established. Employers must conduct suitable risk assessments and take reasonable steps to mitigate harm. However, there’s often a gap between policy and practice.

This is where HR and legal professionals can be powerful allies—working together to ensure that stress management is proactive, not reactive. Regular training, clear communication channels, and accessible support services (like EAPs or mental health champions) are essential.

But more than that, we must model the values we want to see. #LeadWithLove invites those in positions of influence to set the tone – where compassion isn’t just a value on the wall, but a behaviour in every interaction.

HSE Standards and Risk Assessments

The Health and Safety Executive has developed Management Standards in six key areas of work, which you should look at in helping you manage work-related stress. These areas, if not properly managed are associated with poor health and well-being, lower productivity and increased sickness absence. The HSE has a wealth of guidance on how to use the Management Standards.

The six areas covered are: demands, control, support, relationships, role and change. For each, the HSE sets out the standard to be achieved and what an employer should do to meet the standard. They are essentially a step-by-step risk assessment for work related stress.

The #LeadWithLove Approach

To #LeadWithLove is not to lead without boundaries or professionalism—it is to lead with a mindset of care, active listening, and respect for the whole person behind the job title.

For HR professionals, this could mean:

  • Embedding wellbeing into leadership development
  • Encouraging open conversations about mental health
  • Training managers to recognise signs of stress and respond supportively
  • Handling return-to-work processes with compassion

A Final Thought

As HR professionals who help shape workplace policy and resolve disputes, you are uniquely positioned to make a meaningful impact. This year, stress Awareness Month reminds us that small acts of empathy, consistent support, and a culture of psychological safety are not just good practice – they are leadership essentials.

So this April, let’s not just raise awareness. Let’s #LeadWithLove.

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Conducting a workplace stress risk assessment is vital. Members of the HR Inner Circle can access our template risk assessment here: https://members.hrinnercircle.co.uk/the-vault/templates and download the .pdf version of our book on Preventing and Defending Employee Stress Claims here: https://members.hrinnercircle.co.uk/employment-law-library